List of awards
1964: Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star).
1967: Pingat Pentadbiran Awam (Public Administration Medal; Silver), Perak.
1974: Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal).
2000: Temasek Sword, Singapore Police Force.
2004: Asia-Pacific Regional Distinguished Scout Award.
2010: Al Khalifa Order (First Degree), Bahrain.
2010: Distinguished Service Award Gold, Singapore Scout Association.
2011: NTUC 50 Special Recognition Awards.
2011: Degree of Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, University of Mauritius.
2011: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, Nanyang Technological University.
2012: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, National University of Singapore.
2013: Order of Temasek (First Class).
2014: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, Singapore Management University.
Citation for the Order of Temasek conferred on Mr Nathan (2013)
Mr S R Nathan’s service to the nation spans the entire history of post-independence Singapore. He is among a select circle of pioneers who formulated and implemented Singapore’s foreign and security policies in its first decades as a sovereign state. He helped establish friendly relations with countries near and far, institutionalise foreign policy-making, and create the basis for our external security.
Mr Nathan was present at the founding of many key institutions. He served in the National Trades Union Congress from 1961 to 1965. After Singapore became independent in August 1965, he joined the newly-formed Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), eventually rising to become Permanent Secretary in 1979. Along the way, he served in yet another pioneering job – as Director of the Security and Intelligence Department at the Ministry of Defence. He was Director SID when the Laju hijacking took place in 1974. He showed great courage in this incident, volunteering to be one of the “guarantors” of safe passage for the terrorists. He accompanied them in an aircraft to a Middle Eastern country, in exchange for the release of their hostages.
Given his exceptional record of public service, it was not surprising that Mr Nathan came to grace the highest office in the land. He was elected Singapore’s sixth President in 1999, and served two terms. His love of Singaporeans from all walks of life was warmly reciprocated by the nation. He became Everyman’s President.
Few men have seen such a wide field of action in the course of their public careers – from social work to trade unions to diplomacy to intelligence to academia. Few have served Singapore so well and so faithfully, for so long.
For his lifetime of extraordinary labour for the well-being of Singaporeans, Mr S R Nathan is awarded The Order of Temasek (First Class).